KevinAndSquirtTheGeckos
New member
my leo takes a day or two to shed sometimes. is this normal? should I try to help my leo shed if it takes this long?
How long should it take to shed?
- Thread starter KevinAndSquirtTheGeckos
- Start date
JIMI
New member
^same here. A whole day or 2 seems a bit prolonged. How's your humidity like? Does your leo spend any time in its moist hide? Shedding and skin issues can be tied back to nutrition. How well do you gutload your insects? Do you offer a variety of feeders? What supplements do you use and how often?
KevinAndSquirtTheGeckos
New member
Sometimes my leo sheds very fast, sometimes not. The main part of the diet is super worms. The humidity isn't high as it should be, but when I see my leos about to shed, I raise humidity.
KevinAndSquirtTheGeckos
New member
I don't have a humidifier, so when they start to shed I put a wet paper towel under their warm hide and it gets pretty humid. It helps, but they don't seem to miss the humidity after the shed.
Rather than changing back and fourth between something being a warm dry hide and moist hide, I'd keep a moist hide at all times. I have hides with bottoms on the warm side, with either cocoa husk or sphagnum moss that I mist every day with a regular spray-bottle and we've never had any shedding issues. Donut spends pretty much all his time in his and Eclair switches between that and the warm, dry hide. When the moist hide is on top of the heat mat, the condensation bumps up the humidity in the tank a little as well.
KevinAndSquirtTheGeckos
New member
I mist the tank, but humidity doesn't stay in all that long. Im going to do better about that, but I don't know if I should do such a dramatic change given how long they have had little humidity
I don't know what to tell you, man. It doesn't really matter that it hasn't been a problem before, since it is a problem now. A constant moist hide is one of the requirements for a leopard gecko tank and I don't see how it's a "dramatic change". The reason you don't wanna be misting the tank all the time is because it can get too moist and they can get respiratory infections and other serious problems.
Elizabeth Freer
Well-known member
Leopard Gecko: How to make humid hides
Constant humidity 24/7 via warm humid hides also helps your leos stay hydrated.
How about making humid hides for Kevina and for Squirt?
You could adapt these directions and make smaller warm humid hides for each.
Homemade Humid Hide recommended by GU's Conched (Matt)
1. I use 45 oz Country Crock containers; the 16 oz are too small. The lid has a 6 inch diameter. The 45 oz size allows a fully grown Leo to fit inside comfortably.
2. Cut an entry hole about 2.5 inches above the container's base.
3. Add 2 inches of sphagnum moss to that hide.
4. Keep moss or paper towels damp 24/7.
5. Use the lid of the container as the ceiling.
6. Locate the moist hide on the warm end of the enclosure.
7. Warm moist hides 24/7 help leopard geckos stay hydrated so that they shed completely by themselves. Even when not shedding you will find your leo inside.
Constant humidity 24/7 via warm humid hides also helps your leos stay hydrated.
How about making humid hides for Kevina and for Squirt?
You could adapt these directions and make smaller warm humid hides for each.
Homemade Humid Hide recommended by GU's Conched (Matt)
1. I use 45 oz Country Crock containers; the 16 oz are too small. The lid has a 6 inch diameter. The 45 oz size allows a fully grown Leo to fit inside comfortably.
2. Cut an entry hole about 2.5 inches above the container's base.
3. Add 2 inches of sphagnum moss to that hide.
4. Keep moss or paper towels damp 24/7.
5. Use the lid of the container as the ceiling.
6. Locate the moist hide on the warm end of the enclosure.
7. Warm moist hides 24/7 help leopard geckos stay hydrated so that they shed completely by themselves. Even when not shedding you will find your leo inside.
Last edited:
KevinAndSquirtTheGeckos
New member
Im going to look into buying a humidifier. Any suggestions on a brand or type?
